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The NFL draft is over and although the Eagles were able to fill several pressing needs, analysts and experts alike believe the Birds still have one pressing need.
ESPN+ and Football Outsiders took a look at each team’s biggest need coming out of the draft, and after the Eagles addressed the skill positions and offensive line, the linebacker position was once again deemed the Birds’ biggest need.
Philadelphia Eagles: Linebacker
Quarterback Jalen Hurts opens the door for some creative offensive playcalling, but with Carson Wentz on the roster, the Eagles’ selection of Hurts tends toward luxury. The team will likely feel the effects of that indulgence the most at linebacker in 2020. The Eagles addressed the position with their next pick in the third round, but in between, second-tier linebackers who could be immediate every-down players, Zack Baun and Logan Wilson, went off the board. The Eagles’ subsequent pick, Davion Taylor, has the athleticism to become a three-down player in time, but he is inexperienced. He did not play football before he turned 18 and played just two years in the FBS at Colorado. Presumed starters Nathan Gerry and T.J. Edwards have just 19 starts between them, the lion’s share by Gerry in 2019, when, according to Sports Info Solutions, he missed an alarming 29% of his attempted tackles, the highest rate among linebackers with 50 or more attempts. Should either Gerry or Edwards falter, Taylor likely will not be ready to fill in during his rookie season.
The Eagles added Jatavis Brown in free agency along with drafting Taylor who is a raw athlete but has the potential to be a three-down linebacker if he can figure out the nuances of the game quickly.
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